MONTI-Licious 2/1/12
Photo: A1 Photography
As a columnist , I go from event to event. I choose not to respond to all invitations because one day in Vegas you’re hot and the next day your 15 minutes of fame are over. But now I am addressing the producers. On the top of my list, of course, is David Saxe, who comes from the dynasty of the Saxe’s, led by his sister Melinda, the first lady of magic, and their parents. David is the young impresario who has the Vegas show at Planet Hollywood and several other shows at the V Theater in the Miracle Mile. As always, he has more surprises up his sleeve. Today, David Saxe produces 14 shows and owns the V and Saxe Theaters in Planet Hollywood. as well as the new Stripper Bar at Miracle Mile Shops.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Steck Productions International (SPI Entertainment, Inc) led by Adam Steck. Adam is famous for, among others, Thunder Down Under, Human Nature, Divas, which is co-produced with Frank Marino, The Bee Gees show, and Louie Anderson: Larger Than life. He currently has seven shows in Las Vegas and more than 10 shows touring internationally. He has also been involved with many exclusive engagements featuring Richard Lewis, Jason Alexander, Andrew Dice Clay, and others. Adam has always been supportive, generous and even wanted to produce me at one point as the host of my own show.
Then we have Dick Feeney, who had the Rat Pack before the break up with his former business partner, Sandy Hackett. Then there's the Tim Molyneux production, Bite, which has been at Stratosphere for the last seven years. Tim is a singer, director, actor and producer, all of which he does well. Another of the top producers is John Stewart, who created Legends in Concert and worked with Rick Thomas (and those tigers), the fantastic Charo and other interesting acts.
Of course, there is the lovely Anita Mann, whose show Fantasy at the Luxor is in its 12th year. Anita produces, directs and choreographs this wonderful show and is always updating the production to keep the show fresh and surprising. Fantasy is more than just "T & A"- it's like reading Playboy live. Anita has danced with and choreographed for Elvis, Michael Jackson, Julianne Hough, Cher and others. The Emmy winner has been honored by AFTRA as one of America's top five contemporary choreographers and has maintained a four decade relationship with all the major networks.
John Bentham is one of the newest producers in town. He brought us Kevin Burke in Defending the Cave Man and the dinner show Marriage Can Be Murder. Cave Man is one of the longest-running shows in Vegas.
Now you can see Legends at Harrah’s complete with a buffet. Members of my staff saw the show recently and they were impressed with the production values, singing, choreography and interplay between the live performers and the film. This is an often-recurring element in recent productions and adds to the audiences' enjoyment.
The Rat Pack is back at Rio in the Crown Theatre and Thunder From Down Under is at the Excalibur. Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack show is at the LVH, while Imperial Palace has Human Nature and Divas. Human Nature will be on hiatus for about seven weeks while on tour (PBS specials don’t hurt). We’ll miss them and hope that they return refreshed and ready to continue providing the excellent sounds of Motown. Doo-wop!
We have some good lounge acts, among them Matt Goss at Caesars and Greg London at LVH. Zowie Bowie, featuring Chris Phillips and Marley Taylor, appears at the Monte Carlo and hosts Name That Tune at the Imperial Palace.
Paul Stone, well known producer of magic shows, has opened his latest venture, The Vegas Magic Theater at the Gold Coast. You can read Arthur's review here: http://lasvegazine.com/shows.html. Hosted by Ben Stone, the show features different magic acts each and every weekend. Ben is a talented young performer who helps keep the show moving quickly with his affable personality and fine singing voice.
Vegas has always been a place for innovative, creative ideas, and it's up to the producers to keep us entertained. What’s new? What’s coming? Things are constantly happening. I am so thrilled that we had a show like Phantom, directed and produced by Hal Prince. This is one of the best productions ever presented and you must see it. Even the valet who parked our car recently has seen Phantom three times and praises the quality of the show. This is a show that has crosses cultural lines and enriches lives.
One of the new shows coming up is Tommy Wind: IMPACT - An Explosion of Magic and Music. A multifaceted performer, Tommy entertains audiences with magic, music, martial arts, dance and more. His show begins on Valentine's Day, February 14, at The Clarion' Hotel's Wolf Theater.
This column is really dedicated to the memory of the great Bill Moore. He will be missed by all of us in the show biz community. He befriended this columnist and brought his humor and humanity to my life. We spoke practically every day. His loss is a void that I can never fill.
All of life is theater. The President of the United States arrived in town recently and once again the tarmac was not filled with dignitaries to greet his plane. I don’t know about you, but snubbing the Chief Executive seems to have become the norm since Mr. Obama was elected. Four of the Supreme Court justices chose not to show up for the recent State of the Union address – is this drama or what? Even a member of the Stanley Cup hockey team chose not to show up at the White House when the team was honored by the President in the Oval Office. You can’t buy tickets to this level of disrespect. But President Obama keeps on keeping on despite it all.
The Rev. Monti, as always, wishes you only the best.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Steck Productions International (SPI Entertainment, Inc) led by Adam Steck. Adam is famous for, among others, Thunder Down Under, Human Nature, Divas, which is co-produced with Frank Marino, The Bee Gees show, and Louie Anderson: Larger Than life. He currently has seven shows in Las Vegas and more than 10 shows touring internationally. He has also been involved with many exclusive engagements featuring Richard Lewis, Jason Alexander, Andrew Dice Clay, and others. Adam has always been supportive, generous and even wanted to produce me at one point as the host of my own show.
Then we have Dick Feeney, who had the Rat Pack before the break up with his former business partner, Sandy Hackett. Then there's the Tim Molyneux production, Bite, which has been at Stratosphere for the last seven years. Tim is a singer, director, actor and producer, all of which he does well. Another of the top producers is John Stewart, who created Legends in Concert and worked with Rick Thomas (and those tigers), the fantastic Charo and other interesting acts.
Of course, there is the lovely Anita Mann, whose show Fantasy at the Luxor is in its 12th year. Anita produces, directs and choreographs this wonderful show and is always updating the production to keep the show fresh and surprising. Fantasy is more than just "T & A"- it's like reading Playboy live. Anita has danced with and choreographed for Elvis, Michael Jackson, Julianne Hough, Cher and others. The Emmy winner has been honored by AFTRA as one of America's top five contemporary choreographers and has maintained a four decade relationship with all the major networks.
John Bentham is one of the newest producers in town. He brought us Kevin Burke in Defending the Cave Man and the dinner show Marriage Can Be Murder. Cave Man is one of the longest-running shows in Vegas.
Now you can see Legends at Harrah’s complete with a buffet. Members of my staff saw the show recently and they were impressed with the production values, singing, choreography and interplay between the live performers and the film. This is an often-recurring element in recent productions and adds to the audiences' enjoyment.
The Rat Pack is back at Rio in the Crown Theatre and Thunder From Down Under is at the Excalibur. Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack show is at the LVH, while Imperial Palace has Human Nature and Divas. Human Nature will be on hiatus for about seven weeks while on tour (PBS specials don’t hurt). We’ll miss them and hope that they return refreshed and ready to continue providing the excellent sounds of Motown. Doo-wop!
We have some good lounge acts, among them Matt Goss at Caesars and Greg London at LVH. Zowie Bowie, featuring Chris Phillips and Marley Taylor, appears at the Monte Carlo and hosts Name That Tune at the Imperial Palace.
Paul Stone, well known producer of magic shows, has opened his latest venture, The Vegas Magic Theater at the Gold Coast. You can read Arthur's review here: http://lasvegazine.com/shows.html. Hosted by Ben Stone, the show features different magic acts each and every weekend. Ben is a talented young performer who helps keep the show moving quickly with his affable personality and fine singing voice.
Vegas has always been a place for innovative, creative ideas, and it's up to the producers to keep us entertained. What’s new? What’s coming? Things are constantly happening. I am so thrilled that we had a show like Phantom, directed and produced by Hal Prince. This is one of the best productions ever presented and you must see it. Even the valet who parked our car recently has seen Phantom three times and praises the quality of the show. This is a show that has crosses cultural lines and enriches lives.
One of the new shows coming up is Tommy Wind: IMPACT - An Explosion of Magic and Music. A multifaceted performer, Tommy entertains audiences with magic, music, martial arts, dance and more. His show begins on Valentine's Day, February 14, at The Clarion' Hotel's Wolf Theater.
This column is really dedicated to the memory of the great Bill Moore. He will be missed by all of us in the show biz community. He befriended this columnist and brought his humor and humanity to my life. We spoke practically every day. His loss is a void that I can never fill.
All of life is theater. The President of the United States arrived in town recently and once again the tarmac was not filled with dignitaries to greet his plane. I don’t know about you, but snubbing the Chief Executive seems to have become the norm since Mr. Obama was elected. Four of the Supreme Court justices chose not to show up for the recent State of the Union address – is this drama or what? Even a member of the Stanley Cup hockey team chose not to show up at the White House when the team was honored by the President in the Oval Office. You can’t buy tickets to this level of disrespect. But President Obama keeps on keeping on despite it all.
The Rev. Monti, as always, wishes you only the best.
Please direct all related correspondence to montirock3@embarqmail.com.
